California Republicans tilt at windmills over nonexistent mileage tax

Republicans in California have a lot of time on their hands. They’re in the superminority in both chambers of the Legislature, which means not a single Republican vote is needed to get anything done. As a result, they—and their staff—have a major incentive to act out for attention.

Case in point is the recent social media craze about a coming mileage tax.

“California already has the highest gas taxes in the nation—now politicians want to track how far you drive,” declared Assemblyman Carl DeMaio. The Assembly Republican X account droned on, calling it a “tax on movement” and “a tax on work.” Republican Congressman Darrell Issa even decided to join the frenzy in support of his brethen, declaring on X, “California’s mileage tax is more than a massive new tax. It’s an attack on small businesses. It’s an attack on rural and suburban communities. AND it’s a tool for future control.”

For an ordinary person only vaguely aware of state government, such messages suggest an active bill is currently moving to implement a tax. But that isn’t the case.

The uproar is about Assembly Bill 1421. Authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, the bill simply authorizes continued research. Specifically, it directs the California Transportation Commission to “consolidate and prepare research and recommendations related to a road user charge.”

Why? Because the state is facing a $31 billion shortfall over the next decade as gas tax revenues decline.

As cars become more fuel-efficient and consumers switch to electric and hybrid vehicles, you can see how this happens. The roads, however, do not fix themselves. A mileage-based system is one possible answer; universal tolling or higher EV registration fees are others.

This isn’t a new problem, and this isn’t coming out of nowhere. In 2014, state lawmakers created the Road Charge Technical Advisory Committee to look into gas tax alternatives. We’ve had pilot programs evaluating this for a decade. AB 1421 is just the latest continuation of an ongoing public research effort.

In this boring policymaking context, AB 1421 is fine and the social media hysteria pretty silly. What comes of a report can and should be handled on its own terms. There are legitimate reasons to object to a mileage fee — from privacy concerns to whether such a fee would be in addition to or in lieu of existing taxes and fees.

If a proposal eventually emerges that fails to protect privacy or turns into a “double-tax” money grab, Republicans would have something legitimate to complain about. I know I’d definitely oppose that. But no such proposal exists, and that isn’t what AB 1421 does.

Republicans could be talking about all of these nuances legitimately or advancing their own solutions. Instead, they have chosen to build a strawman to play on social media and whip their followers into a frenzy about a tax that hasn’t been proposed. It’s a move that reveals what they think of their own base.

There are plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made of the supermajority and state government. Instead, California Republicans have chosen to hyperventilate over an invented issue rather than acting as serious critics. It’s wonder they’re in the superminority.

Sal Rodriguez can be reached at salrodriguez@scng.com